The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ruled that the board of directors of M/s Simplex Infrastructures Limited is collectively responsible for environmental pollution. This decision came after the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board initiated criminal proceedings against the company for violating pollution norms during a project at Panki Thermal Power Station in Kanpur.

• 01The board of directors is collectively liable for a company's environmental conduct.
• 02The Allahabad High Court dismissed applications to quash criminal proceedings against directors of M/s Simplex Infrastructures Limited.
• 03The case stems from a 2021 complaint by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.
• 04The court emphasized that defenses must be presented during the trial, not pre-trial.
• 05The ruling reinforces accountability for corporate environmental violations.

This ruling may lead to increased accountability for corporate directors in environmental matters, potentially influencing how companies manage their operations to comply with pollution regulations.